Shadows
by m1ss-Cheshire Cat
Summary: Strange and sinister things have begun to happen in New York city, and the council has decided to bring the Avengers in to investigate. Unfortunately, not all of them are willing to help- following disasterous events 18 months ago Dr Banner is hiding and on the run, tearing the team apart. Will the avengers manage to reunite and discover the cause of the unusual occurances?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! Just a short word before the start- promise it will be short. Pinky promise. This is my first attempt at writing a story in a long, Long time- my first one was written when i was twelve. (It's rubbish. Don't read it.) Therefore, my writing skills are rather rusty, and i'd really appreciate some help in trying to improve- on content, title and , if anyone has any suggestions for chapter titles, they'd be welcome too. If anyone wants to beta, please feel free. Secondly, all reviews are welcome- i can't improve if i don't know how to. This includes scathing comments about how truly awful this story is, and how blinding obvious the ways to improve it are (hint hint) although comments of any other kind are welcome too. Even completely random ones about the weather. I'm British, we discuss it a lot. Well, i do at least, not sure if anyone else does (cricket...cricket...). Thats basically it. So, I said this note would be short- i lied. Anyway, On with the story!**

* * *

"_It's definitely peaceful here"_ Bruce decided whilst lying on his back, gazing up at the brilliant new dawn. "_Yep, definitely the best place to be- much better than New York. No stressful, dangerous situations, no insane generals sending a couple of idiots with guns after me, no maniacal Gods attempting to take over the world and plenty of free time. Time for just thinking, and ...and... well, thinking is important". _He breathed in deeply, feeling his lungs gently expand as his diaphragm contracted. After five minutes of staring at the sky he dragged himself to his feet, feeling the air slowly begin to warm up and come alive with the sounds of nature, and then proceeded to walk past the tribal huts down to the rock pool. As usual, he was the only one moving around the village; half had left before dawn in order to gather food, and the rest had yet to awake. It had taken a while for them to trust him- they'd had no contact with the outside world for over fifty years and at first believed him to be a daemon. He finally convinced them otherwise after treating one of the children suffering from whooping cough-easily treated in the west, yet out here in the ruins of an Inca temple deep in the Peruvian jungle it claimed many lives. Although he was far from being a qualified doctor, he had limited medical knowledge and had brought a first aid kit with him when he'd run. The locals now called him the 'witch Doctor', believing he'd been sent by their Gods. Bruce smiled in amusement at the thought. They had been more right when they considered him a daemon. Still, he hadn't had a green 'incident' for over a year now, not since he'd arrived... he dared himself to hope that out here, away from the stress and worry and _emotion _of everyday life, he might finally be free from the other guy. The thought made him feel oddly elated. After eventually arriving at the pool, he dove in, the icy coolness shocking his body into full wakefulness. 'Just another day in the wilderness' he thought. He couldn't have been more wrong.

He'd just finished getting dressed when they came. A loud, chattering noise pierced the air. Bruce stiffened in terror as he recognised the sound- helicopter blades. He could think of only one reason why they were here; him. The thought filled him with dread. _No! _ He thought, as he felt the Hulk stir menacingly. He frantically attempted to pacify him, refusing to allow him control. Unwillingly, the Hulk settled, though Bruce couldn't control the frenetic pounding of his heart which sunk as he realised he was definitely not free from his alter ego. He couldn't go back to society now, not after how it ended last time. His head snapped up as he heard frantic footsteps entering the clearing, but he relaxed when he saw it was one of the children from the tribe. She sprinted over to him, liquid brown eyes terrified. "There's a sky monster here! You have to come help!" she begged him desperately. Bruce knelt down in front of her. "It's not a monster- it carries people in it, people who are looking for me. They won't hurt you; go back and tell the others not to fear and please- don't tell them where I am" Nodding, the girl turned "hide in the temple; they won't find you if you go into the chambers. Good luck" Bruce murmured an acknowledgement and she ran back to the village, quickly swallowed by the dense shrubbery.

The path from the pool to the temple was disguised, and only those with knowledge of its existence would be able to find it. Bruce hurried along as quickly as he could, being careful to make as few signs as possible of his passage. The sound of the helicopter blades had stopped a while ago and the jungle had regained its usual choir of insects and animals. The soft, spongy earth gave way to stone under his feet, and Bruce flew up the steps of the ancient Inca temple. The ruins themselves were still almost pyramid shaped, and at the top a crumbled statue of Kinich Ahau, the sun god, faced east. He jumped off the steps half way up and hurried over to the secret door hidden on the left hand side. The door opened onto a small anti-chamber, filled with woven baskets that contained the tribes' food. It was dimly lit at regular intervals by torches hung on brackets in the wall. Reaching the far side of the room, he bent down and lifted up a trapdoor concealed by a rug. Shivering, he slipped into the dark corridors underneath. His heart froze as he heard the door opening and several booted feet marching in; they must have seen him climbing up-or one of the villagers had sold him out. It didn't matter either way now; they'd find him, it was only a matter of time. He stopped breathing entirely when he heard a female voice call out "Bruce, we know you're here. We know you know why we're here. Make it easier for everyone and come with us willingly- we don't want anything to get...messy" Natasha Romanov. Hearing her brought back an onslaught of memories of the disastrous events eighteen months ago. No, he couldn't go with them; the risk was too great. The only option left was to run- run and hide. Quietly, Bruce reached up and gently closed the door, the pitch darkness pressing in on him from all sides. Laying one hand on the wall, he jogged deeper into the catacombs. Five minutes later an echo of the trap door opening and the sound of people clambering down reached his ears. Bruce was still running blind. He turned, deciding to find somewhere to stay still and hide- movement was useless; he didn't know where he was going and any sound would alert the soldiers to his location. Tiptoeing back the way he'd came his fingers brushed against a narrow opening in the wall- an entrance into a small room where the sarcophagi of the Incan leaders were kept, one of many in the pyramid. He quickly squirmed inside, crouching in the shadows next to the entrance. He closed his eyes, desperately fighting for some control over his racing heart and ragged breathing- he could feel the Hulk trying to break free. Outside in the corridor the march of boots came steadily closer.

Back in the village, Natasha sighed as the reports came in stating Bruce had slipped into the network of chambers in the temple. "Find him soon, and use any means necessary to bring him in. Just make sure he's still alive. And avoid a Hulk out if you can- we don't want to lose him" Turning off her comm., Natasha turned and surveyed the shack that he'd been staying in for the past fifteen months. Snapping out orders for the men to collect whatever items where inside, she slowly walked back to the helicopter, praying they would bring Bruce soon; he was needed-desperately.

* * *

Onboard the helicarrier heads turned as Tony Stark entered the control room, speaking incessantly. "Ah Fury, how delightful to see you again! I've been longing for this moment since our last meeting- really, my heart ached. And Legolas- good to see you too! I see the Ice Queen is missing-care to share where she is?" His rambling tirade stopped abruptly as his eyes fell on Steve Rogers ,who was dressed in clothes so hideous they should've been left in the sixties "Capsicle! love that jacket. Really... really suits you" He eyed Steve a moment longer before wheeling around to face Fury "So, I have a party I urgently need to get back to- there's several tequilas and one _hot _chick with my name on them. Seeing as though we're all here, can you get to the point and tell us the problem?" With this he flung himself into a chair, his gaze expectant. Fury bristled "I'm sorry to interrupt you're partying Stark""-really? You sound anything but-" "but there is a serious crisis which the council's decided we need your help for- believe me, if it was my decision you wouldn't even know about this. As it is we're waiting for agent Romanov and Dr Banner- nothing can be discussed until they're here." The room stilled at the mention of Bruce's name. "I see" Tony replied after a pause, his eyes narrowing as he settled back into the chair.

**So, first chapter done. What didya think? As said before, any reviews concerning any topic welcome! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is chapter two; to those reading this- Oh My God you stayed! thankyou! Hopefully this is better than the last chapter, even if it is shorter. Forgot to mention in the last one, sorry if the characters are OC- i tried not to, but its just how i imagine them. This note will be shorter than the last one, promise. To InsertBoringNameHere thankyou for reviewing! To those of you who haven't- please do! (Not that i sound desperate or anything)**

**Oh, i also forgot to mention last chapter that in a parallel universe the Avengers would be mine and i would currently be sprawling on a huge sofa in my even huger mansion, counting my copious amounts of money and just generally languishing in my success. Unfortunately, this isn't that parrallel world- I don't own the avengers (sad face). I said this note will be shorter than the last one. I lied. Sorry. On with the show!**

Bruce cowered in the darkness, terrified as he heard the boots march closer, and the light from the torches grow nearer. His blood turned to ice as one of the soldiers called out to the other "The heat trace definitely indicated he came this way- according to this he must be close." Damn! It hadn't occurred to Bruce that they would have tracking technology with them- being in the wilderness for so long had made almost forget the modern world. Feeling like a trapped rabbit, Bruce tried to calm down and consider his options. He could stay hiding, and hope they wouldn't find him- unlikely, as the opening was clearly visible in torchlight and the infra red equipment they had would show his location clearly. Or, he could try and make a run for it. It was unlikely they wouldn't see him; they were getting closer every second. However, he had the slight advantage that he had been in the tunnels before, although he'd never had to run blind. Hopefully, the extra knowledge would give him the ability to evade his hunters, even if they did have light. The chances were slim though. Bruce stifled a sob; why couldn't they just leave him alone? It was too late now though. Squaring his shoulders, he carefully edged his way to the opening- a slim chance was better than no chance. Taking a deep breath, he flung himself in front of the torch beam and sprinted for his life.

* * *

Back in the control room the atmosphere was glacial; nobody had uttered a word in the last five minutes. Steve visibly jumped as Tony broke the silence "Do we really need Bruce?" Fury ceased his pacing, and glared at Tony out of his one good eye "I don't think we need any of you, but the council insisted we bring you in. That includes Bruce. Their decision is final". From the tone of his voice, it was clear he considered the conversation ended. Tony, however, chose to ignore the hint. "Is that really the best decision though after last time? I'm guessing he's going to be even more... messed up. He needs help, not a super hero mission! Where did you even find him, anyway? I've been looking since his left- couldn't find a trace. It's like the bloody guy vanished into thin air." Fury sighed visibly, knowing that trying to shut Stark up was a lost cause. "We initially had the same problem as you- we couldn't find him in any of the places we expected him to be, and none of our agents received so much as a whisper about him. Then one of our scientists had the brilliant idea to trace the Hulks gamma signature- he figured it'd be different to normal gamma radiation due to its reaction with Dr Banners cells. He was right too. In the end we managed to track him to the middle of the Peruvian jungle- apparently he's staying with the natives. Our team should hopefully have him in custody now" Tony glanced up at Fury sharply "You make him sound like a criminal" There was no reply, and the atmosphere sank into a tense silence.

* * *

Flying round a corner, Bruce reflected that his decision might have been a mistake- his pursuers were getting closer and more and more seemed to be joining the hunt as his location was conveyed. "_It would have been easier just to wait in the dark" _He reflected. His horror of becoming a danger to society again falsified that thought though. He had lost his bearings a while ago; the only thing guiding him through the twisting multi-levelled maze was his hand skimming the wall as he raced along, and going down the opposite corridor to any of the soldiers. Abruptly the corridor he was running down came to an end- his head hit the wall with a mighty smack and he heard his nose crack loudly. He dropped like a stone, writhing around on the floor dazedly. His nose was agony, yet it was nothing compared to the pounding in his skull. His vision swam as he stood up unsteadily, waves of dizziness causing him to double over retching. His heart sank as the torch light fell on him and a voice shouted triumphantly. Suddenly the Hulk invaded his mind, fighting to take control and force him to transform; the attack was so sudden that Bruce was unprepared. His muscles bulged and acquired a green tinge. He impulsively tried to fight the transformation, only distantly aware of the cries of alarm from the men. There was a soft explosion of air, followed by a sharp sting in his neck. In his befuddled state, he didn't register that it was a tranquilizer dart until his legs folded under him and he quickly collapsed into the unconsciousness. The last thing he was aware of was a voice above his head; "_We've got him, bringing him in now_".

**Thats all folks! Hope you liked it- please stay tuned!**

**Oh, and a review/follow/favourite gets you my eternal gratitude!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! thankyou so much for continuing to read this story. Only a short note this time- i swear. Just want to know- do people prefer**** long chapters or short ones? If you prefer long ones, the update time ****_will_**** increase- i have two GCSE's when i get back to school. joy. Anyway, can't believe the amount of hits this story has gotten! Thankyou so much for you're support! On with the show!**

The first thing Bruce was aware of was he was lying down on the softest thing he had felt in months- compared to his bed of woven vines that didn't even have a mattress he felt like he was floating on a cloud. The second thing he was aware of was the dull throbbing in his nose, and the piercing migraine in his head. Groaning, he reached up and gingerly felt his nose, wincing when his fingers brushed the tender skin. It had been broken and was still swollen, but rapidly healing- one of the few advantages of having an invincible alter ego. A slight cough informed him he wasn't the only occupant in the room. Opening his eyes blearily, he felt around for his glasses, stiffening in surprise as he saw Natasha standing above him. Her face remained blank as he eyed her wearily. She spoke abruptly "You've been out for around seven hours. As you've noticed, you've fractured your nose, and you did have a concussion- fortunately for you they've pretty much healed now. You'll be completely fine by the time we arrive in New York, which should be in two hours. The council called you in- we need your help on a situation that's arisen." With that, she dropped a packet of notes on top of his bed, then turned and walked out the room. He shivered slightly as he recovered from her visit- a robot displayed more emotion than she did. After prodding again at his nose to make sure everything was healing right, he hesitantly reached down and picked up the notes. He knew with a cold certainty that there was no chance for him to escape now- his only hope was to deal with whatever the council's problem was as quickly as he could and hope that the Hulk wasn't needed. Sighing, he opened the first page.

* * *

"Landing in T minus fifteen minutes" Bruce jumped as the female voice echoed through the intercom. He'd finished the notes an hour ago and had since just sat there, cradling his head in his hands. Hearing the voice he sighed, then stood up and stretched, taking his glasses off as he did so. Walking out of his room, he looked around for some indication of where to go. Noticing a window further down the corridor he walked over to it, smiling wirily at the view. New York from above was breath-takingly impressive, yet Bruce couldn't think of anywhere else he didn't want to be at this moment. Looking to the left, he noticed the odd shimmer in the sky indicating the helicarrier had its 'invisibility' shields on. As the plane he was on drew closer he watched in awe as the top deck became visible, allowing their vehicle to land.

"When we land you need to go straight to the control room" he whirled around at the sound of Natasha's voice. "You have a habit of sneaking up on people" he remarked, leaning back against the wall. She smiled coldly "I guess it's just my job description- Comes in useful when I'm out on missions. "Comes in useful for scaring green rage monsters too" he replied. She tensed, her eyes flashing. For an awkward moment neither of them moved, both gauging the others reactions. Surprisingly Natasha broke first. She looked down, and her breathing trembled as she opened her mouth to talk. She was cut off by the intercom, announcing their plane had landed. The walls descended over her eyes, and she became the icy assassin once again. Gesturing for Bruce to follow her, she led the way over to the hangar.

* * *

Squirming uncomfortably under the piercing stares, Bruce sat hesitantly on the edge of his seat. Being back at S.H.I.E.L.D certainly wasn't a pleasant experience; everyone they'd passed had literally stopped to stare at him. He'd dreaded seeing the rest of the Avengers again, especially Tony- he couldn't get the expressions of horror and fear on their faces out of his head. It had been much worse when he walked into the room. Clint had instinctively tightened his grip on his bow and the rest of them had looked at him with carefully blank expressions hiding, Bruce guessed, their true feelings towards him. After a shove from Natasha (he'd frozen in the doorway) he carefully made his way to his seat, studiously avoiding the gazes of everyone in the room. Once Natasha had slunk gracefully into her seat he fixed his eyes on the table, waiting for Fury to speak.

"So, I guess you want to know why you're here. The citizens of New York have been plagued by visions of the dead. Following these visions strange and unusual things have occurred- from people committing suicide to apparently going mad and attacking citizens on the street. The number of occurrences has being increasing daily- people are noticing and it's become too great a problem to ignore. Add to this unusual disappearances of people at the cemeteries- engines left running, flowers abandoned in the middle of the path and yet no sign of the person anywhere. They just vanish." Clint cut in sharply "so you're saying that people are being haunted by _ghosts_? If that'd the case, then why do you need us? Couldn't you just get a couple of priests and perform an exorcism?" The last remark was bitingly sarcastic and Fury glowered angrily at him "Because four days ago our satellites sent us this image. Due to previous actions, we have reason to think that he's behind it." Bruce examined the picture with a sinking heart. Sitting at a coffee table dressed neatly in a black suit and green scarf was Loki. He was looking directly at the camera with a sinister grin on his face, as if he knew they were watching him. On the other side of the table, Tony muttered a curse under his breath "Doesn't this guy ever give up? We trashed his ass last time, why does he think we can't do it again?" Fury regarded him carefully "what I want to know is why he isn't rotting in a cell on Asguard. We haven't heard anything from Thor yet; nothing to say he's escaped. His presence on earth can only mean one thing- trouble. That's why you've been called in. We need Loki brought down immediately, before he can act out whatever insane plan he's got up his sleeve. We have to keep this low profile too- there would be mass panic if the public learnt the man who caused chaos two years ago is roaming the streets again. We cannot let that happen."

"And why do you need me?" Bruce asked quietly, shrinking into his seat as everyone turned to face him. "Exactly what I asked" Tony murmured. Bruce tried to fight down the hurt that statement caused- it was illogical. "We need you because the appearances are emitting a strange form of radiation- it appears to be on the same frequency of gamma, yet has none of the effects you'd expect. We think that by understanding this radiation might enable us to stop the visions occurring, or even trace them to their source- Loki. We need you because so far our scientists have made no headway whatsoever on understanding it; they barely managed to figure out what frequency it was. You're an expert on radiation; we figured you might have better luck." Fury answered. Nodding, Bruce sighed tiredly, leaning back and rubbing his face. At least the swelling had now gone completely. "Will the... other guy have to make an appearance?" Fury shook his head. "Well then, I better get to work" Bruce stood up, looking at Natasha questioningly. "Lab 6, third floor" she replied, taking the hint. Bruce murmured his thanks, and then walked quickly out the room. Clint finally relaxed his grip from his bow, and dropped into a vacant chair. The others looked at each other uncertainly. After a few minutes, Tony spoke up "You shouldn't have brought him."

**Chapter 3 ends. Stay tuned for chapter 4. The pace will pick up soon,promise, just needed to get the back story out. Kudos!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello again. This is probably going to be the last chapter i can get out for a while- as much as i'd love not too, I have to revise for 2 exams when i get back :( The update rate will probably slow down (dramatically) but i do intend to finish it. Thankyou to only-one-of-my-kind-7 for reviewing, and thankyou to InsertBoringNameHere, Lorelee13, Xx Falcon's Eye xX, krage and only-one-of-my-kind-7 for following! (You guys are the best. Ever.) So,on with the show!**

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No one spoke; it was almost like they hadn't heard him. "The council wanted him in" Steve eventually replied absently, sounding like he was preoccupied with his thoughts. Tony snapped back angrily "And that's the Law is it? I don't see why should the council decide everything! Bruce shouldn't be here- did you see the state of him, he's more fucked up then when he left! He's skin and bones, and he's acting like a God damn zombie; it's clear he still thinks the whole bloody mess was his fault. We need to talk to him, get his mind straight before we go waltzing in and deal with this new problem of Loki."

Barton stood up, snapping "The whole mess was his bloody fault! We're lucky we're all alive. You're right, he shouldn't be here; he's too dangerous. We should've left him in the jungle- clearly he liked it there." Tony glared at him furiously "Funnily enough I don't recall Bruce ordering several tanks to try blow the shit out of him. But wait, silly me of course he did, we all know how he simply adores losing control and attacking people!"

Tony had moved closer to Clint as he was talking, until he was practically snarling in his face. "It's his fault the Hulk was created in the first place!" Clint roared back. Tony looked just about ready to punch Clint, who was looking eager for a fight himself. Before they could come to blows, Steve interrupted "Enough. We need to work as a team, and the council's decided that includes Bruce. Sort this out later- we've got too much to worry about now" He'd picked the photo up, and was staring at it, looking troubled. Clint turned away from Tony, breathing heavily. Abruptly he stormed out the room.

Natasha sighed, a pained look on her face. "He hasn't been the same since Loki took over his mind. I think he's afraid." No-one replied, but Steve offered her a sympathetic look. "He doesn't need to take it out on Bruce" Tony grumbled angrily. "I know. He's just venting his emotions on an available target. He doesn't know how to cope; he's used to being in control. He's not really one for sharing his feelings either."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, reflecting on Natasha's words. "He'll understand eventually. I guess I should go check on him" With that she stood up, walking away without a sound. Only Tony and Steve were left in the room; Fury had walked out several minutes ago. Seeing Steve was still absorbed in his thoughts Tony decided to find his way to the cafeteria and grab a coffee, before attempting to deal with Bruce. Clapping Steve on the back, he stepped into the elevator, pressing the button for the right floor. _Guess I'm not going back to that party _he reflected, sighing heavily.

* * *

As she'd suspected, Natasha found Clint in the range, reducing the target to splinters. Waiting patiently for the magazine to empty, she sat down on the floor and took in her partner's appearance. His eyes were ringed by inky shadows and his muscles twitched occasionally from the level of tension. He'd been slowly getting worse since the Chitauri attack two years ago; she dreaded to think what affect Loki's return would have.

The sound of gunfire stopped suddenly, leaving only a fading echo. Slowly, Clint lowered his gun. "Hey" he greeted her quietly. He hesitantly walked over and sat down next to her. She gently rested her head on his shoulder- a rare sign of affection from the Ice Queen. She could feel tremors wracking his body.

"I'm scared Tasha" He whispered, closing his eyes and hanging his head at the admission. "I know" she murmured quietly. "And now that bastards back... what if he tries to control me again? What if he succeeds? I can't..." He trailed off, breathing harsh as he struggled not to cry. "He won't. We're ready for him now- we beat him before and we'll beat him again. And I won't let him touch you." With her words Clint's breathing eased slightly, and they sat together in companionable silence.

* * *

Taking a gulp of coffee to steel his nerves, Tony flung open the door and breezed into the lab. "Hey Bruce, long time no see." He stopped suddenly trying to see the physicist amongst the sea of equipment. His eyes narrowed when he saw over in the far corner, head bent over a spirometer; he gave no indication that he'd even heard Tony come in. " Bruce" Tony called, walking over. Again, Bruce ignored him. Tony huffed angrily. "Quit being childish and ignoring me. You can at least turn round and face me"

Slowly, Bruce reached up and removed his glasses before turning round to look at Tony, a resigned expression on his face. Tony examined him closely. "You look like crap". Bruce had lost at least a stone since he'd last seen him, and his skin had acquired a strange tinge due to exhaustion. His eye sockets were hollowed and bruised; a result of his fractured nose and too many sleepless nights. He emitted a quiet aura of defeat and resignation too. Overall, he looked like a person who had tired of the world.

"What are you doing here Tony?" Bruce asked quietly, rubbing his eyes blearily. "I came to check on my friend. You know, the one who upped and left suddenly without a word of goodbye, then vanished for eighteen months!" Bruce winced as Tonys voice grew louder. "You know why I left. It was safer that way. I couldn't bear the thought of being a danger to anyone else..." He trailed off, his eyes growing dull. "Nobody wanted me anymore, anyway. It's not like I was missed."

Tony grabbed Bruce by the shoulders, forcing him to look him in the eye. "Bullshit. It wasn't you're fault- it was Ross', and good riddance to him." Bruce winced at the memory. "And people did miss you- I did, and so did Steve!" he shook him slightly, trying to get his message across. It wasn't working; Bruce's eyes had glazed over, and it was clear he wasn't really listening to him. "Clint didn't-" "yeah, but he's just pissed off about Loki, he doesn't actually blame _you_" "- and something like that was bound to happen. Time bomb, remember? Anyway, I have to figure out this weird radiation..." Tony released his shoulders, acknowledging defeat. Bruce turned and began fiddling with the equipment, oblivious to his presence again. Mentally promising himself that he would get Banner to see his point of view, Tony left him to get on with his work.

* * *

The moment Tony left the lab Bruce sighed, and his head sunk into his hands. The visit had been much worse than he'd imagined. He wished fervently that Tony hadn't bothered. Although he was surprised that he still wanted anything to do with him, he didn't believe a word he said. Nobody wanted him- how could they? He was a monster. And the incident eighteen months ago was his fault- Tony was trying to be kind, insisting it wasn't.

Wishing longingly for the peaceful life of the Jungle, Bruce leaned back and closed his eyes, switching his thoughts back to the problem of the radiation. It was certainly a puzzle- as far as he could tell it had no similarities to gamma, despite everything indicating it should. It didn't even appear to _do_ anything- it was just a colossal amount of energy without a definable form. He couldn't even re-create it; the only things he had to go on were the reading's taken from the previous spectres that had appeared.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he stiffened in surprise when his stomach growled. He hadn't noticed how hungry he'd become. Mentally preparing himself he left the lab, making his way towards the cafeteria. _ I wish I could turn magically invisible _he thought as he felt the piercing stares of the S.H.I.E.L.D employees. He stopped suddenly, his eyes widening. _Magically invisible. Magic! _Thoughts of food forgotten he whirled round, sprinting off to test his theory.

* * *

**So that's that. Hope you liked it- it isn't really my favourite chapter :/ ah well. The action will get faster now- the backstory is pretty much done :) As always, reviews make my **


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